Is this a good budget PC build?

[Pabz123]

CPU
AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor
CPU Cooler
Zalman CNPS5X Performa CPU Cooler
Motherboard
Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3 Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard
Memory
G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
storage
Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card
Asus Radeon R9 270 2GB DirectCU II Video Card
Case
Zalman ZM-T4 MicroATX Mini Tower Case
Power Supply
Fractal Design Tesla R2 1000W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply

 

[logainofhades]

What is your budget here? I would say it is not a very good build, and that a 1000w PSU is highly unnecessary.

 

[Pabz123]

What is your budget here? I would say it is not a very good build, and that a 1000w PSU is highly unnecessary.

My budget is £450 not sure how much in dollars. What would you recommend as this is my first time doing this.

 

[maddogfargo]

Bad motherboard for that CPU. Try to get something with 8+2 phase power. Good options are:

Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P
MSI 970 Gaming
ASRock 970 Performance

Regular mid-tower case to fit those. Micro ATX is a pain and expensive when you look at higher end parts.

Zalman cooler is OK but FX8320 can get hot. Consider a Cooler master Hyper 212 EVO as minimum, Noctua NHD14 recommended.

R9 270 is a good midrange GPU. No need to change this, but a 270x, 280 or 280x would be good if you can afford them.

550-650w PSU should be plenty for that build. Get a good quality one from the tiered list here on Tom's.


If you use PCPartPicker.com you can post BB code of your list, it will check for compatibility for you, and calculate wattage for you. Also much easier for us to help you tweak it.

 

[logainofhades]

Micro atx isn't any more expensive than ATX, really. I can shove high end components into even an ITX setup. I just did so over the weekend. I do not really recommend FX. It is roughly 3yr old tech, on a dead platform. You would get better, and more consistent, performance from an Intel setup. If gaming is the intention here, this would be better.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4150 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor (£87.49 @ Ebuyer)
Motherboard: MSI H81M-E34 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£39.37 @ Scan.co.uk)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£41.94 @ Aria PC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£43.38 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 960 2GB Video Card (£162.25 @ More Computers)
Case: Zalman ZM-T4 MicroATX Mini Tower Case (£12.75 @ Ebuyer)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (£49.98 @ Novatech)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-118CB/BEBE DVD/CD Drive (£9.98 @ Novatech)
Total: £447.14
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-28 19:12 BST+0100